Lessons Learned from the Educational Experience during COVID-19 from the Perspective of Latin American University Students

The COVID-19 pandemic impacted the educational context. University students were exposed to an educational transition from a face-to-face context to emergency remote teaching (ERT). This change affected the educational experience of students and teachers in general, and impacted their educational performance, as well as their emotional and mental health, among other aspects. However, learning from the successes during the ERT and reflecting on good and bad practices will allow us to configure effective learning scenarios that respond to the new normal. The objective of this paper is to describe and present the lessons learned during ERT from the experience of university students in Latin America who have already returned to face-to-face instruction. The study used a qualitative inductive approach and a phenomenographic design. The sample consisted of 640 undergraduate students (63% women) of higher education who experienced online education during the year 2021 and a face-to-face modality during the first semester of 2022, belonging to universities in Chile, Venezuela, and Ecuador. The results suggest that new learning scenarios should consider specific pedagogical practices, including active, collaborative, meaningful, and problem-based strategies, together with a diversity of feedback practices. It is concluded that the ERT brought good practices that should guide university educational policies. © 2023 by the authors.

Return to University Classrooms With Blended Learning: A Possible Post-pandemic COVID-19 Scenario

After more than 2 years of the pandemic caused by COVID-19, a gradual return to face-to-face teaching has been taking place. Therefore, administrators need to establish procedures to facilitate and ensure the quality of teaching during this process. The purpose of this article is to describe the strengths and challenges of implementing Blended Learning (BL). The design used is consistent with a secondary investigation of a narrative review. As a result, several recommendations are presented for building institutional frameworks that enable the implementation of high-quality BL models in the context of a gradual return to face-to-face courses in higher education. From a theoretical and contextual perspective, considerations for transitioning to this model are discussed, based on lessons learned from emergency remote education. We conclude that the present post-pandemic scenario constitutes a pivotal moment for determining the way education is delivered in higher education.

Measuring College Students' Experiences with Virtual Education During the Pandemic by COVID-19

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, young university students had to adjust to the emergency remote education provided by the online education modality. To know about the impact of this situation, the objective of this work was to validate the Scale of Experiences of University Students in Virtual Education (EEEV). A total of 2841 Chilean university students participated, with a mean age of 23.42 years (SD=7.72), of which 20% were engineering students. The EEEV arose from the adaptation of the questionnaire of expectations towards virtual education in university students during the COVID-19 pandemic, composed of six dimensions (Relationship with peers, Online learning, Online teaching, Self-efficacy for online learning, Online evaluation, and Comparison with face-to-face education). The psychometric properties of the EEEV version were verified. Validity estimations were performed using confirmatory factor analysis, finding a good fit, and maintaining the original version's factors. As for the dimensions, the internal consistency coefficient for the total scale was adequate. Therefore, it is concluded that the EEEV is a valid and reliable scale for measuring the experiences of university students in the context of emergency remote education.

Psychometric characteristics of a virtual education expectations questionnaire for university students during the COVID-19 pandemic

The primary aim of this research study was to design a questionnaire that measures expectations towards online education for university students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, university authorities faced the challenge of providing online training programs that were specifically adapted to meet student expectations. In total, 8265 students (4627 women) from a Chilean university participated in the study. The mean age was 21.53 years (SD = 2.87) and 33.1% of the students were in their first academic year. A questionnaire was designed based on a scientific literature review and was validated by expert judgment. Validation estimates with exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were performed. The results showed an adequate fit and a model with six derived factors in a hierarchical solution. Internal consistency coefficients were adequate. In conclusion, the virtual education expectations questionnaire for university students is valid and reliable for Chilean higher education. © 2022

Applications used and recommendations provided by university professors for self-regulation of learning in the context of covid-19 pandemic

The strategic use of digital applications in higher education acquired special relevance in times of COVID-19 pandemic. This exploratory study inquires which digital applications are used and recommended by Chilean higher education lecturers in order to promote self-regulated learning on the virtual education context. The methodology was qualitative, with a phenomenographic approach, based on three focus groups, with an intentional sample of 17 lecturers. The data were analyzed through Content Analysis technique. 27 relevant digital applications were identified to facilitate self-regulation of learning, 16 useful for the preparation phase, 19 for the execution phase, 11 for the self-reflection phase, and 8 for the three phases of the Zimmerman cyclical model. WhatsApp and Google Calendar are the most recommended applications for self-regulation processes, specifically for the disposition of learning. Taking benefit of the reciprocal influence of knowledge on self-regulation of learning and ICT skills emerges as a shared challenge to promote a strategic use of digital applications and to foster inclusive and quality learning in the university, in the context of emergency online education. © 2021 North Caucasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, State Technological University. All rights reserved.

Design, Validity and Effect of an Intra-Curricular Program for Facilitating Self-Regulation of Learning Competences in University Students with the Support of the 4Planning App

Background: Smartphone applications have the potential to support university students for the benefit of learning in higher education. Objective: To design and evaluate the effect of an intra-curricular program using a mobile application on self-regulated learning strategies in university students. Method: The 4Planning mobile application was designed following a systematic literature review, expert judgement and application. The instrument to assess the effect of the intervention was the SRL Readiness Practices Scale, with a one-factor structure (CFI = 0.98;TLI = 0.97;RMSEA = 0.05) with reliability of alpha = 0.89. The design was quasi-experimental with pre- and post-test measures and experimental and control groups. The sample consisted of 473 first-year university students (37.02% male) from seven Chilean universities with a mean age of 19.35 (SD = 2.49). Statistical analysis was an ANOVA performed in R software version 4.0.3. Results: Statistically significant differences were identified in the levels of self-regulated learning between the experimental group compared to the control group. Conclusion: The development of the 4Planning app proved to be effective in promoting the development of self-regulated learning strategies in university students.

Psychosocial Characterization and Mental Health in Families of Chilean Students during Physical Isolation by Covid-19

The research objectives were to examine psychosocial and academic variables in families of primary and secondary schoolchildren in southern Chile in physical isolation and to analyze the mental health of parents. A descriptive cross-sectional design was used. Two stages were considered. In the first stage, an ad-hoc survey was applied to 8,102 families. In the second stage, the DASS-21 instrument was applied to a sample of 59. The results of the first stage showed that 40% of the participant families had a member without paid work, an income of less than $ 440, and the majority did not have computer at home. The schoolchildren have felt anxiety, night fears, bad mood or aggressiveness, several of them have not completed schoolwork and reported motivational difficulties. Most of surveyed students have not dedicated enough time to schoolwork and their main activity has been to watch TV series. The second stage showed that the 57.6% of parents presented severe anxiety, 50.8% stress and 83% depression. It is concluded that families lack the resources for the effective development of online education. Specialized actions are required to "mitigate" the impact of physical isolation by Covid-19 on socio-academic and mental health variables in schoolchildren and their families.